Melton MP handed shadow cabinet role

Kemi Badenoch defeated Robert Jenrick in the final Tory leadership ballot, with the result announced on Saturday.

Since then Ms Badenoch has been appointing members of her shadow cabinet to bring the Labour government to account.

Mr Argar, who succeeded Alicia Kearns as Melton’s MP at the General Election in the summer, is appointed shadow health and social care secretary.

He previously served as justice and health minister in Rishi Sunak’s government.

Mr Argar joins a number of former Conservative big hitters, such as Mr Jenrick (shadow justice secretary), Mel Stride (shadow chancellor) and Dame Priti Patel (shadow foreign secretary) in the shadow cabinet.

Ms Badenoch said her new appointments draw on ‘the talents of people from across the Conservative Party, based on meritocracy and with a breadth of experience and perspective’.